DON'T MISS: INSTALLATION SAFETY COUNCIL STOOD UP
SERVICE TO THE FLEET Norfolk Naval Shipyard
We Are America's Shipyard
March 2017
�an �rancisco for conversion
ALSO INSIDE: RHODE ISLAND REFUELING SUCCESS
Table of Contents
IN THIS ISSUE Features: 5 FACILITY UPGRADES
18
Scott Center Annex Barber Shop renovations completed
10 CORE COMPETENCIES NNSY to hold Employee Development Day March 15
12 EYE ON INNOVATION RPL and Code 970 develop sail loft life raft section cable winch guide
12 OUT OF THIS WORLD Former astronaut Richard Hieb speaks at bimonthly leadership forum
16 RHODE TO SUCCESS
COVER PHOTO BY SHAYNE HENSLEY
10
Rhode Island team completes refueling in record time
18 WELCOME! USS San Francisco arrives at NNSY for MTS conversion
13
20 HATCH HOUSES New aluminum hatch enclosures installed on USS San Francisco
22 SHIPYARD SPOTLIGHT Brandon Goodman: Inside Machinist
24 NEWS YOU CAN USE Leave programs for federal employees: what you need to know
26 FRAUD, WASTE & ABUSE 2016 CERO investigations at a glance
16
VOLUME 80 • NUMBER 2 SHIPYARD COMMANDER Capt. Scott Brown DEPUTY COMMANDER Capt. Daniel Rossler COMMAND MASTER CHIEF CMDCM (AW/SW) Michael Reese
Service to the Fleet
Editor's Pick:
Adm. Caldwell visits USS Rhode Island refueling team to celebrate project milestone
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER Terri Davis EDITOR Anna Taylor PUBLIC AFFAIRS STAFF Michael Brayshaw, Kristi Britt, April Brown, Floyd Logan, Troy Miller, Curtis Steward, Jennifer Zingalie EMAIL THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE nfsh_nnsy_pao@navy.mil EMPLOYEE INFORMATION HOTLINE (757) 396-9551 FRAUD, WASTE & ABUSE HOTLINE (757) 396-7971 SHIPYARD RADIO ADVISORY 1630 AM SERVICE TO THE FLEET is a Department of Defense publication and is authorized for members of the DoD. Contents of Service to the Fleet are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense, or Norfolk Naval Shipyard. Service to the Fleet is published monthly. Submissions are due on the 10th of each month. The public affairs staff reserves the right to edit submissions for content and brevity. LIKE US ON FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/NorfolkNavalShipyard1 FOLLOW US ON TWITTER www.twitter.com/NNSYNews WATCH VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE www.youtube.com/NNSYBroadcast VISIT THE NNSY HISTORY BLOG www.nnsyhistorymatters.blogspot.com READ STTF ONLINE www.issuu.com/nnsy
The USS Rhode Island (SSBN 740) project team celebrated the early completion of the submarine’s refueling Feb. 17 during an all-hands ceremony with Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program Director Adm. James F. Caldwell Jr. The project team’s goal was to complete the work, from start to finish, in 220 days, and despite suffering some initial setbacks, they met the mark in just 217 days – the fastest ever at Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY). The project team also reduced the number of work stoppages by 40 percent, the duration of work stoppages by 50 percent, and the lost critical path hours by 66 percent compared to the most recent Engineered Refueling Overhaul on USS Maryland (SSBN 738). “When we started last summer, I asked you to help us provide a home run for the shipyard. And you did it. You knocked it out of the park,” said Rhode Island Commanding Officer Cmdr. Nirav
Patel. “There were enough challenges, and you are the ones who got through and kept us going and never let your foot off the gas. I appreciate how much you are keeping the Rhode Island project on target.” Caldwell congratulated the team on its accomplishment, calling it a big win for the shipyard, but a bigger win for the Navy. “This world we live in seems to be more volatile than ever before. It’s a world where I want a powerful Navy. Where I want a Navy that can sail wherever they need to, and they can do it with confidence,” said Caldwell. “When you refueled Rhode Island in less than 220 days, you allowed us to get that ship back to sea…and I don’t know about you, but I want more of that. You have my incredible admiration and my greatest respect for the work you do. You are America’s Shipyard because you fuel America’s Navy. So thank you very much, I’m really proud of you, great job.”
MARCH 2017 • SERVICE TO THE FLEET • 3
From the Commander:
Spring into action at America's Shipyard
Sexual harassment is not just unethical, it is illegal. If you are subjected to any harassment or assault, contact our SAPR Coordinator Ms. Bates-Pratt at 396-7985, the NNSY Command Evaluation and Review Office at 3967971, the Department of the Navy’s Sexual Harassment Hotline at 1-800253-0931, or the EEO Office. Greetings America’s Shipyard! Spring is nearly here, and along with the hopefully nicer weather we have plenty of important happenings throughout the shipyard during the next few weeks. We are having an Employee Development Day Wednesday, March 15. This is an important opportunity for work groups to dedicate several hours to understanding assigned Core Competencies and how supervisors and employees can work together to complete developmental paths. I know there have been lots of questions recently about what Core Competencies really are—they define the key skill sets needed in every shipyard shop and department. Your individual success in building these skills and
broadening knowledge leads to your career success and directly aligns with my top priority of supporting your personal well-being. Core Competencies help ensure a sense of personal pride and ownership in your work. Norfolk Naval Shipyard, the Navy, and you are all successful if you're meeting your career pipeline development goals. In advance of March 15, please take some time to think about the Core Competencies in your area of responsibility and write down any questions you may have so they can be discussed during Employee Development Day. Thank you in advance to all who are supporting and participating in this event. The time investment by supervisors, training groups, and schedulers is absolutely necessary if we are to achieve the goal of a fully proficient workforce that supports our mission of continuously driving to excellence and delivering service to the fleet safely with the right quality, on schedule, and within budget. Speaking of which, last month I met with the USS Harry S Truman (CVN 75) team in advance of our Big Rocks ceremony. As I shared with the team, we need to continue to focus on maintaining our standards in the back half of this highly important availability. As we complete propulsion work and testing this month, let’s ensure we stay as focused on work quality as we are the availability schedule. It was great to break two Big Rocks during our All-Hands celebration in Building 163 Feb. 9, recognizing major milestones met on both USS Rhode Island (SSBN 740) and USS La Jolla (MTS 701). Thank you to everyone who contributed to these successes. You are directly supporting the Navy priority to “strengthen naval power at and from the sea.” Those at the ceremony saw there was one Big Rock that remained intact—our safety rock. We have had a spike in injuries the last few weeks, with many of these occurring due to a lack of situational awareness. To help you on the job, I’m not asking you to memorize
a multi-step process to determine if you’re in a safe environment and/or have mitigated all on-the-job hazards; rather, I just want you to keep in mind this one thought: “what bad can happen, and how can I help prevent it?” We just launched our Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Passport 3, which will help us focus on improving our shipyard safety culture. Employees who complete the 27 mandatory activities—and a minimum of 8 of 15 wellness activities—in the passport are eligible for a $200 cash award. Because employees need to think about safety over the long-term, completion of the mandatory activities must be distributed over a period of at least six months. Your Department Safety Coordinator (DSC) can provide you with your passport. A list of DSCs is available on Code 106’s WebCentral page. Call VPP Program Manager Drew Holland at 374-4172 if you have questions. In closing, I want to note this may be our 250th year, but it’s no time to rest on the accomplishments of those who came before us. Today’s Navy leadership isn’t impressed with us because this shipyard built the nation’s first aircraft carrier; they want to know what we’re doing to ensure a successful availability with the Truman. They don’t care that we hosted the nation’s first submarine; they want to know what we’re doing to undock USS Albany (SSN 753) and the Rhode Island on time. Let’s show the Navy, the nation, and ourselves that we continue to be a critical service provider for the United States Navy, throughout 2017 and beyond. We are Norfolk Naval Shipyard. We are America's Shipyard.
Capt. Scott Brown Norfolk Naval Shipyard’s 107th Commander
By Jennifer Zingalie • Public Affairs Specialist Photos by Luke Beasley • NNSY Photographer
SCOTT CENTER ANNEX BARBER SHOP RENOVATIONS COMPLETED The Navy Exchange (NEX) barber shop renovation at Norfolk Naval Shipyard’s (NNSY) Scott Center Annex was completed Feb. 20. The three-chair Barber Shop received a face lift including all new equipment, walls and flooring. Portsmouth NEX General Manager Gene Varela also said keeping the shop staffed with quality barbers is a top priority. Although Hampton Roads has many options for military haircuts, the convenience of having one on base is important. “This is a heavily used barber shop; we often have customers waiting,” said Varela. The renovation was part of the final phase leading to the completion of the entire renovation of the Portsmouth NEX. When the barber shop reopened Feb. 20, overall renovations were 90 percent complete. However, the Portsmouth NEX $2 million renovation almost did not happen. Because of the store's location and low customer base it struggled for a number of years, said Varela. “When they opened the new commissary in 2013 it helped bring in more customers who in turn helped business,” said Varela. “Since then, this store has won the Bingham award three consecutive years, which provided allowance for this renovation.” The Bingham Award recognizes excellence in customer service, operations and management at NEX activities. Before the renovation the store was analyzed for the products its customer base wanted. One of the major changes was moving the package store, which was formerly located separately at the gas station, into the main store. The move has proven successful as the package store is now ranked in the top ten amongst all exchanges worldwide, said Varela.
“We moved in October and by January sales increased by 25 percent,” he said. Although there are larger exchanges in the surrounding area, Varela said he is committed to serving the customers in this area and getting them the merchandise they want, even if it is not located at the Portsmouth store. “On a weekly basis, we work with the area exchanges to transfer merchandise to us and we will go pick it up for the customer,” he said. The main mission of the NEX is to provide authorized customers with quality goods and services at a savings. They also support Navy quality of life programs for active duty military, retirees, reservists and their families. In fact, 70 percent of their profits go to the Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) fund, said Varela. “I come from an outside retail background where we work hard to deliver profits for our stockholders. Here, our stockholders are the active duty, reservists and retirees,” said Varela. NNSY Department of Defense civilians are also authorized limited use of the Portsmouth NEX for consumables and nonalcoholic beverages. The shipyard specializes in repairing, overhauling and modernizing ships and submarines critical to national security. The Portsmouth NEX provides 10,000 employees of NNSY a quality, on-base option to shop and eat close to work. This in turn contributes to a positive operational outcome as the work conducted helps get ships back to sea, supporting freedom and democracy around the globe. “It was impressive to me when I joined this company four years ago,” said Varela. “The people who work for the NEX work just as hard as those on the outside but for very different reasons.” MARCH 2017 • SERVICE TO THE FLEET • 5
From the Deckplate:
USS Alabama launch is just one of NNSY's many historic milestones
#SPIRITDAY
"We will be celebrating our 250th anniversary all year, with numerous events to include a grand finale in November. Keep an eye on the shipyard's Facebook page for daily pieces of interesting history about America's Shipyard."
Greetings America’s Shipyard! Changes are in the air, take a look around especially as we welcome the crew of the USS San Francisco (SSN 711) to America’s Shipyard! Our work in the yard is not the only thing changing. It appears our weather is doing a little changing as well. And speaking of changes, let’s take a step back to 1942 for a moment and reflect on one our shipyard's major accomplishments and how it helped change the course of history. The day was Feb. 16 and our shipyard had the pleasure of launching the fourth and final USS South Dakota-class battleship, USS Alabama (BB 60). More than 3,000 men and woman worked 24-hour days for 30 months to complete the project nine months ahead of schedule. After it was commissioned, Alabama joined the fight in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters during World War II, where it was awarded nine battle stars. After being decommissioned in 1947, Alabama was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register in 1962. Since 1964, Alabama has served as a museum ship at Battleship Memorial Park in Mobile, Alabama. The former battleship is now a National Historic Landmark. In honor of the men and women who worked so hard on Alabama, an apprentice class in the 1980s built a 55-foot-long replica of the ship. The shipyard's pride in USS
Alabama will be evident during the year when the float participates in various events and parades throughout the region. This popular float has been shown in many parades and other community events across Hampton Roads. Another example of the great work we accomplish here. We will be celebrating our 250th anniversary all year, with numerous events to include a grand finale in November. Keep an eye on the shipyard's Facebook page for daily pieces of interesting history about America's Shipyard. When did the shipyard get its first computer? How did Abraham Lincoln influence what the shipyard would be called for 80-plus years? Find out answers to these questions-and discover many more fascinating facts and photos-during the next 250 days! This month’s CMC shout out goes out to the entire shipyard! Thank you for your work each and every day in an effort for us to “Meet the Mark!” You are all professionals! Keep up the great work! As always, it is an honor to be in the Navy and a great time to be a part of America’s Shipyard, 250 years old! - CMC Sends!
Michael Reese Command Master Chief
Feb. 24 Red Day
#SPIRITDAY Feb. 24 was Red Day at NNSY! Thank you to everyone who participated.
Shipyard Insider: BUZZ & BYTES
TRUMAN ALL-HANDS USS Harry S Truman (CVN 75) project superintendent Mike Jennings and Shipyard Commander Capt. Scott Brown met with Truman team members to discuss project priorities Feb. 9 in Bldg. 163. Truman is in the midst of a 10-month Planned Incremental Availability, which includes upgrades to the Consolidated Afloat Networks and Enterprise Services (CANES), the Navy’s next generation tactical afloat network. (Photo by Tony Anderson, NNSY Photographer)
» POSITIVE YARDAGE Hidden Figures Norfolk Naval Shipyard partnered with Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) Systems Center Atlantic Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Outreach, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Langley, the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and other private donors to host a private screening of "Hidden Figures" Feb. 25 for Hampton Roads students nominated through their efforts in STEM. The screening was a partnership in celebration of African American History Month as well as in support for STEM in Hampton Roads. Following the movie, a panel was held for the students to ask questions of representatives from the sponsors of the event. Guest speakers included NASA's Dr. Tahani Amer, NASA's Karen Berger, SPAWAR's Samantha Wright, Bluestone Environmental Group's Louise Slate, SPAWAR's IT1 Vorie Miller, and NNSY's Dr. Lydia Simmons. (Photos by Kristi Britt, NNSY Public Affairs Specialist) 8 • SERVICE TO THE FLEET • MARCH 2017
Lydia Simmons (center), Diversity and Inclusion Office (Code 1103) branch head, speaks following a private screening of Hidden Figures Feb. 25.
Congratulations Congratulations to Machinist’s Mate Petty Officer Third Class (SW/AW) Amber Black, recently frocked to Petty Officer Second Class by Norfolk Naval Shipyard Executive Officer, CAPT Dan Rossler. MM2 Black is a Naval Reservist at NNSY working with the Outside Machine Shop through the SurgeMain Program. NCMA Foodbank Members and family of NNSY's Naval Civilian Managers Association (NCMA) Chapter volunteered their time and efforts to the Foodbank of Southeastern
Virginia Saturday, Feb. 4. During the past 36 years, the Foodbank has provided nearly 300 million pounds of food for hungry residents throughout the region.
NNSY's NCMA members and their families volunteered at the Foodbank of Southeastern VA.
250 celebrating years
#SPIRITDAYS MARCH 24: Superhero Day APRIL 27: Wear Green MAY 26: Aloha Friday JUNE 23: Rainbow Day JULY 27: Wear Red, White and Blue AUGUST 25: College Pride SEPTEMBER 22: Rep your Military Branch OCTOBER 27: Pink Out Day NOVEMBER 1: NNSY Pride Day
SPECIAL EVENTS JULY 3: Third annual America's Shipyard Celebration AUG. 20: Bring your family and join the fun for Norfolk Naval Shipyard Day at the Norfolk Tides Sunday, Aug. 20. Game time is 4:05 p.m. Gates open at 3 p.m. Ticket specifics will be provided at a later date. OCT. 28: Family Day at Norfolk Naval Shipyard NOV. 1: Apprentice graduation and Anniversary celebration
FALL IN FOR COLORS MAY 26: Memorial Day Fall in for Colors at Bldg. 1500 flag pole SEPT. 11: 9/11 Fall in For Colors NOV. 9: Veterans Day Fall in for Colors
#250FACTS
» POLICY PLUG
To see all the #250Facts, check out the shipyard's Facebook page and follow along as we count down #250Years of history and innovation. Fact 216 Women proved during World War II that they could perform many types of welds with extraordinary skill, while others excelled as crane operators, machinists, riveters and guards. Fact 226 NNSY’s then Radiological Control Director, Elaine Doxey, won the Department of the Navy's 2007 Women's History Month Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) field award. She was presented this award on March 21 at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial in Washington, D.C. Doxey was the first female Radiological Control Director at NNSY. Fact 230 Any plane, anytime, anywhere!? In late 1838, Virginia Congressman Colgate W. Darden, Jr., suggested that Congress survey the possibility of equipping Norfolk Naval Shipyard to mass produce airplanes. Fact 249 The NNSY-built destroyer Tucker slid easily down the launching ways on February 26, 1936. One of the Navy's first all-welded vessels, the 1,500-ton, 37-knot DD 347 sailed to San Diego and joined the U.S. Battle Fleet. Tucker went on to shoot down two Japanese planes during the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Drone Activity Public support in monitoring drone activity over NNSY is essential as the shipyard is a restricted air space. Please report any drone activity near NNSY, Scott Center Annex, St. Juliens Creek Annex, or housing areas by calling 396-3359. Prohibition includes all off-installation (i.e. outside the installation perimeter) properties under the operational management and or control of Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic (CNRMA). Requesting A/V Support As of Feb. 1, the official process for requesting any photographic services is to use the “New Photo Request” link on the Code 1170 WebCentral page. The information you provide through this link will be sent directly to the photo supervisor only. The supervisor will assign the request to one of the staff photographers. Requesting specific Code 1170 photographers by name is discouraged. All photography requests should be sent directly to the photo supervisor, who will assign the request according to current workload. Requests should be made as far in advance as practical to ensure assignment. This does not include passport or iso-prep services. These services are provided at the Shipyard Instructional Design Center (SIDC) located on the first floor of Bldg. 13 at the north end of NNSY across from Trophy Park on Tuesdays and Thursdays between the hours of 7:20 and 11:20 a.m. Official Photography is defined as: passports, isoprep, command portraiture, aerial photography, time lapse, command presentations, sanctioned shipyard events, dockings and undockings, Public Affairs support and documenting industrial processes. If you have questions, please call the photo desk at 396-7182. MARCH 2017 • SERVICE TO THE FLEET • 9
NNSY to hold Employee Development Day March 15 BY MICHAEL BRAYSHAW • LEAD PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) will hold a shipyardwide Employee Development Day March 15 from 7:20-11:20 a.m. Employees will meet with supervisors to review their assigned core competencies, review their progress and, with the employee’s input, discuss ways to help employees reach full potential through training, experience and job assignments. Plans are for Employee Development Days to take place every six months. Core Competencies provide long-term employee development plans in shipyard departments and shops, where various developmental milestones are tracked and discussed between supervisors and employees before being met. Core Competencies benefit employees because they provide a clear path to become fully proficient in their current field. They also help the shipyard because they identify personnel needs to accomplish the workload. As gaps are continuously identified in current workforce competencies based on constant changes in projected workload supporting the shipyard mission, development and training efforts can be focused and streamlined to develop employees to fill those gaps in missionessential competencies. Mike Zydron, NNSY’s Engineering and Planning Department Manager said, “We’re at the point of progressing people through pipelines and trying to move needles relative to gaps we have between ‘I have five people capable of overhauling this pump when I need ten.’ 10 • SERVICE TO THE FLEET • MARCH 2017
This is critical to meeting the mark this year and more importantly raising the bar and meeting our goal as America’s Shipyard.” Because they provide a vehicle for continual and accelerated learning, the use of Core Competencies aligns with the Command Philosophy tenet of being “Brilliant on the Basics.” Core Competencies also support the Chief of Naval Operations’ Design for Maritime Superiority to achieve high-velocity learning at every level. In recent years, NNSY has made a focused effort to hire new employees and ensure their training is immediate and impactful, in turn enabling them to quickly and directly contribute to delivery of ships back to the Fleet. NNSY’s commitment to and development of Core Competencies paves the path to personal mastery in all areas of the shipyard, as Capt. Brown explained. “In my interactions with our workforce, I have been explaining core competencies from the employee's personal mastery perspective. Each employee now has a road map to achieve career goals. It's up to the employee to reach out and grab their career goals, and it's up to management to identify shipyard needs and support, guide and coach employees to reach their personal career goals along with shipyard goals.” Is Employee Development Day based on holding large group meetings in a shop or department, or one-on-one discussions? “Depending on the group and size, it could be a combination of
WHAT ARE
CORE COMPETENCIES? CORE COMPETENCIES Core Competencies provide long-term employee development plans in shipyard departments and shops, where various developmental milestones, such as knowledge, skills, abilities, and behavior, are tracked and discussed between supervisors and employees. Core Competencies benefit employees because they provide a clear path to become fully proficient in their current field. both,” said Lisa Downey, NNSY Executive Director. “It should be collaboration and interaction in larger groups talking about ‘what does Core Competencies mean for the group?’ It’s not necessarily intended to be a one-on-one, then another one-on-one, then another between supervisors and their employees. It is not a performance review. But it should set the stage for some one-on-one conversations.” For all the promise that Core Competencies provide the future of the shipyard, they still have some logistical challenges to get resolved in the present. Zydron said success of this program could ultimately hinge on “senior manager ownership and accountability. This program must be owned and executed from the top down to ensure bottom-up interest and desire are generated. Due to the constant shift in supervision and resource assignments [for our production personnel], this is a challenge we have to solve. We’ve got to get some stability between employee development and sponsoring that development.” While shops and departments are at different levels of maturity with implementing Core Competencies throughout the shipyard, there are several departments that are already showing signs of success, including the Electrical/Electronics Group (Code 950). Code 950’s initiatives include its leadership implementing a formal mentoring program for its new supervisors, and welcoming Administrative and Industrial Services Branch (Code 1102) personnel to discuss Employee Development Pipelines with the department’s employees. “The model is there for the rest of the shipyard, I think we’re just at different levels of implementation,” said Downey. Employee Development Pipelines support a shop or code’s Core Competencies by integrating training and development, building knowledge, skills, abilities and behaviors. Each pipeline has a system of checks built in to gauge an employee’s progress and find areas that may need additional attention. This is what makes it easier on resource managers to adjust manning levels and modify training as needed. “We’re aligning people in the competencies to support the workload, which is constantly changing,” said Zydron. “It sometimes means the master in one Core Competency needs to start over and become proficient in a brand new Core Competency.” Employee Development Day is intended to discuss those very types of issues. Zydron said it will answer the fundamental questions of, “Why is this important to me? How does this support a desire by our best and brightest to learn and become fully proficient in their assigned area? Employees should be empowered and energized to set goals in way of development to go after them, and be supported by their peers and supervision to achieve them.”
FAQ
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 1. WHY IS NNSY DOING CORE COMPETENCIES? To achieve Brilliance on the Basics at NNSY, we must invest in employee development through the use of Core Competencies to ensure we can meet our mission requirements in the future. 2. WHERE CAN I FIND GUIDANCE FOR IMPLEMENTING CORE COMPETENCIES? The NNSY Performance Improvement Plan lays out specific actions for improving Employee Development. 3. WHO DETERMINES MY CORE COMPETENCIES? Department management develop your Core Competencies based on the knowledge, skills, abilities, behaviors, training, and applications needed to be fully proficient in a key area of your shop or code’s workload. Supervisors or sponsors assign Core Competencies to employees on an individual basis. 4. WHO REQUESTS COMPETENCY TRAINING FOR ME? Your supervisor/sponsor will ensure you get signed up for the appropriate training as required. 5. WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT DURING THE BIANNUAL EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT DAY? You should expect your supervisor or sponsor to provide an explanation and overview about progression through your individual assigned Core Competencies. 6. WHAT IF I CHANGE JOBS? Your Core Competency assignments will be based on the Core Competency needs of your new group.
Meet the Mark: IMPROVEMENT THROUGH EMPOWERMENT
Work Leader Randy Cox uses the winch guide to pull a raft.
EYE ON INNOVATION: RPL AND CODE 970 DEVELOP SAIL LOFT LIFE RAFT SECTION CABLE WINCH GUIDE STORY AND PHOTOS BY KRISTI BRITT • PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST Editor's Note: At Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY), innovation and teamwork are key characteristics of the Rapid Prototype Lab (RPL). The RPL opens its doors to anyone who has an idea to make a process more efficient. However, sometimes someone comes to the team seeking something the RPL does not have the tools to provide. Rather than turn away these creative thinkers, the RPL reaches out to other shops within the shipyard to collaborate and get the job done. A Sail Loft Life Raft Section Cable Winch Guide has been developed by the NNSY RPL and the Temporary Services Group (Code 970) Nuclear Life Raft Division to establish a safer, more efficient process in life raft testing and repair. Code 970 Mechanic David Snead and his co-workers worked each day with having to pull and pack eight life rafts. The life rafts weigh about 400 pounds each and it would take eight people to pull the rafts per safety conditions. “It takes a lot out of people to get this job done,” said Snead. “We also would only have a handful of people in our section at a time which would prompt us to roam around the shop to gather help from others in pulling the 12 • SERVICE TO THE FLEET • MARCH 2017
rafts. Without the right amount of people at the start of the day, we would spend at least an hour trying to pull others from their jobs to help us. It just wasn’t an efficient practice.” Snead also noted the ergonomic disadvantages of the job. “Our lower backs would start to hurt because how we would be positioned to pull the rafts. And that potentially would lead to an injured coworker,” he said. “I knew a change needed to be made.” Snead went to his zone manager and requested they purchase section cable winches to assist in their efforts. With approval and purchase, he then went to the wood shop which built a stabilizer on the platform and mounted them for use. “The section cable winches were great purchases but in use we found that the cable was not retracting correctly and it was not hands-free,” said Snead. Seeing the need for improvement, he contacted the RPL for a solution. “David asked us to create a prototype that would prevent their new winches from bunching up while retracting its cable,” said Martrail Parker, Code 900P.1 Process Improvement Manager with the RPL. “Without the prototype, their mechanics
would have to manually guide the cable in by placing their hands on the cable close to the winch.” “We designed the guide like the guide on a fishing pole,” said John Tate, the RPL lead on the project. “The guide is attached to the front of the winch, and guides the cable onto the spool, keeping it tidy and safe for those utilizing the machine.” Non-Nuclear Life Raft Supervisor Magdalena DeBerry said, “The amount of effort that went into helping improve our processes here and keeping our team safe was an amazing effort for all involved. This device provides a better way to work safe and take the strain off the employees.” Tate added, “We saw firsthand how these workers had to manipulate and pull the raft. We know this device helps a lot in their work. The mechanics saw a need and came up with the idea. We at the Rapid Prototype Lab were happy to implement it and make their idea become a reality. Knowing the team here is satisfied with the end product makes our job worth it.” “The RPL’s design has allowed us to operate the winches safely with efficiency while maintaining a healthy workplace,” said Snead. “We already have some other ideas we’re working with the RPL to help make our processes even more efficient. We thank the RPL for everything they’ve done for us.” The RPL is always looking for ways to help shipyard employees do their jobs safer and more efficiently. If you have an idea that might improve your job, contact the RPL at 396-4950/4956/8670.
Former space shuttle astronaut Richard Hieb speaks at bimonthly leadership forum BY JENNIFER ZINGALIE • PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST PHOTOS BY TONY ANDERSON • NNSY PHOTOGRAPHER The second installment of Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) Command University’s bimonthly leadership forum took place January 25. Special guest speaker and former space shuttle astronaut Richard Hieb spoke on teamwork, battling the status quo, and the importance of work done at the shipyard. Although the forums are open to anyone, they are particularly valuable for NNSY first line supervisors, said Rick Pugsley of Command University. “It is the toughest job there is, there is no harder supervisory job than the first line supervisor,” said Hieb. “That is why these guys [Command University] are doing this training, because everything is new and the supervisor; they are expected to have technical competence while learning all these new things. You have got to work at it.” The forums, which are being held every other month, serve to provide insight to shipyard leaders on skills needed to be an effective leader. Command University has committed to inviting inspiring and experienced speakers to share their wealth of knowledge with the audience. During the forum, Hieb shared his experiences with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and his time in space. Throughout his talk Hieb shared a variety of quotes to make his points; in particular, “The best teams are made up of people who love each other.”
Hieb used this quote to explain the 1970 Pittsburgh Pirates team motto, “We are family.” Both quotes were to inspire the audience to fully commit to working as a team and genuinely care for one another Heib explained. Teamwork is important because the work that takes place at the shipyard keeps the nation safe, said Hieb. “It was love that kept that team [Pirates] successful,” he said. “Organizations that respect one another and work together are more successful. It’s got to start somewhere, why not with you?” MARCH 2017 • SERVICE TO THE FLEET • 13
#250FACTS To see all the #250Facts, check out the shipyard's Facebook page and follow along as we count down #250Years of history and innovation. Fact 245: In 1979, Laura Jeanne Priest became the first female valedictorian in Norfolk Naval Shipyard's history. The Shop 31 apprentice machinist and mother of two completed her apprenticeship with a 3.86 grade-point-average. Fact 237: The first women to graduate from the shipyard's apprentice program were in the 154-member class of 1971. They were L. Louise Lucas, Shop 11 Shipfitter; Ruth M. Braden Goodman, Shop 17 Sheetmetal Mechanic; and Sandra E. Butler, Shop 51 Electrician. After serving as a Portsmouth city councilwoman, Lucas was later elected as a state senator. Fact 235: In 1981, NNSY's Debbie Ture became the first woman ever to qualify as a nuclear shift test engineer at any of the public shipyards. Explaining how she came to become a pioneer in her career field, Ture said, "I wanted some responsibility and I don't mind getting my hands dirty. In this job, I got a taste of both very quickly." Fact 223: Edna Etheridge, who had for several years held the distinction of being the shipyard's highest paid female employee, earned another historical niche in late 1957. She became the first female senior manager in shipyard history when promoted to GS-13 supervisory budget specialist in the Comptroller Department. She headed the Budget and Statistics Division.
Increasing safety and saving money with new energy efficient lights Story and photo by April Brown Public Affairs Specialist Streets and parking lots are about to get brighter here at Norfolk Naval Shipyard due to an exterior light replacement project. Thousands of lights will be replaced making the installation safer. Naval Facilities Engineering Command Mid-Atlantic (NAVFAC MIDLANT) Public Works Department (PWD) Portsmouth is overseeing the replacement of all exterior lights and fixtures throughout NNSY as well as Scott Center, St. Juliens Creek and South Gate Annexes. “The purpose of the new lights is not only to increase the energy efficiency of the base, but to align with lighting codes and standards,” said PWD Portsmouth Construction Manager Lt. j.g. Charles “Trey” Sweet. “The project intends to increase the lighting uniformity and improve distribution of all fixtures and luminaires attached to buildings, along roadways and in parking lots.” The new light-emitting diode (LED) lights are brighter, more energy efficient and will decrease the amount of wasted light that some lights currently generate through proper placement and distribution. “A good comparison between the old and new lights is to think about the difference between halogen and LED headlights on a car,” said Sweet.
Once the NAVFAC MIDLANT PWD Portsmouth Design Manager Matthew Reeves approves the preconstruction design and product submittals, it will take about eight to 12 weeks for the lights and fixtures to arrive. The shipyard’s expectation for the duration of the lighting overhaul is about a year. The renovation may potentially experience delays due to unforeseen conditions resulting from existing wiring issues and structural damage of electrical feeds. “Because safety and security of personnel are the main concern where current lighting is deficient in some parts of the shipyard and the annexes, it has gained a lot of command interest,” said Sweet. The base and annexes are broken down into renovation zones and sectors. Installers will begin with areas of interest as recorded in the preconstruction meeting conducted in October 2016 and continue throughout NNSY from there. “There is a lot of excitement about the NNSY Exterior Light Replacement project for the energy savings, safety implications and overall lighting improvements that it will provide,” said Sweet. The installation of the new lights is targeted to begin in May 2017.
Installation Safety Council supports base-wide safety
BY JENNIFER ZINGALIE • PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST PHOTOS BY TONY ANDERSON • NNSY PHOTOGRAPHER Helen Keller once said, “Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.” When it comes to safety, you can never have too many people on the job, according to Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) Explosive Safety Officer and the Installation Safety Council Coordinator Christopher Harrell. Harrell believes safety is everyone’s job. On the shipyard this can be a larger-than-life task. This is because the shipyard has more than 10,000 employees, which include Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) as well as more than 44 tenant commands, such as Naval Facilities and Engineering Command (NAVFAC) and Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR). Although the Safety Council was established in 2014, Harrell recently helped to revive the Installation Safety Council meetings, which occur quarterly in Bldg. 1500, on the second floor in the Code 500/800 conference room. The Safety Council encompasses all employees on the shipyard and was created to mutually build and align a stronger safety culture throughout. The council also serves as liaison between the regional and installation safety office as well as the various entities on the base for coordination of specialty functions, such as medical, fire, and security. They also serve to ensure safety reporting compliance and timeliness as well as appropriate workplace inspections. The council is helping establish needed mishap prevention and hazard abatement programs. After conducting a gap analysis, Harrell recognized a need for better command-wide safety oversight due to the shipyard's vastness of land, buildings and people. “It’s important to keep our commanding officer aware of safety issues any organization on this base might be facing,” said Harrell. “They might need a higher authority to help get movement on safety items from the installation level.”
The council is available to help with anything any employee needs to enhance safety regardless of where they work. According to Harrell, safety representatives from each command have been or should be identified and attend the quarterly meetings. “They can take the word out to their command or activity to help promote safety awareness for everyone,” he said. Harrell, along with various installation managers, also conducts weekly zone inspections across the base. The goal of the zone inspections is to identify overlooked or unidentified areas of buildings that may need assistance or safety items. For example, one of the things zone inspectors do is help building managers ensure they have a required Emergency Action Plan, which includes what to do for everything from an active shooter to an earthquake. Ultimately, Harrell’s goal is to spread awareness while building a stronger safety culture across the shipyard no matter the organization. “We should all be communicating on level in the safety community,” said Harrell. "Safety is everyone’s responsibility and we can't do it without everyone’s involvement.”
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Waterfront Watch: ALL HANDS ON DECK
Rhode Island arrived in December 2015 for its 27-month overhaul.
Rhode Island sits in Dry Dock #4 prior to the start of its availability.
Rhode Island team completes refueling in record time BY ANNA TAYLOR • PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST PHOTOS BY SHAYNE HENSLEY • NNSY PHOTOGRAPHER Some of the most technical and demanding work on the USS Rhode Island (SSBN 740) project was completed three days ahead of schedule, surpassing a major milestone for the availability. The Rhode Island’s refueling package is a critical part of the submarine’s 27-month Engineered Refueling Overhaul (ERO), during which the submarine is refueled and upgraded before returning to support the country’s nuclear deterrence strategy. The project team’s goal was to complete the work, from start to finish, in 220 days, and despite suffering some initial setbacks, they met the mark in just 217 days – the fastest ever at Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY). “Coming in at 217 days on Rhode Island, not only did we have what constitutes a more than 120-day improvement over the last execution [on USS Maryland (SSBN 738)], which took 342 days, we also had some pretty unique challenges,” said Bob Hansen, the project’s chief refueling engineer. “It was an incredible effort.” 16 • SERVICE TO THE FLEET • MARCH 2017
Among the challenges faced by the team was the failure of a crane that provided the in-house lifting and handling. The crane broke less than a week into the project in June 2016 and had to be entirely replaced while execution of the refueling was ongoing. A new crane was installed and tested, and the team was back to work within 11 days. On top of that, a severe rainstorm flooded several areas of the shipyard, which cost the team two days. And later that year, preparations for a hurricane threatening the Hampton Roads area cost the team another three days. Uncontrollable acts of nature aside, the greatest hurdle faced by the refueling team was the experience level of its deckplate mechanics. “Years ago, you would look at your workforce and you’d have an average of seven or eight years of experience. Turnover wasn’t such a problem,” explained Production Department Refueling Manager Al
Q. Jones. “On Rhode Island, we recognized the lack of training. We had to adjust our plan and couldn’t assume anyone had the required experience.” According to Lead Refueling General Foreman John Rowe, who served as the assistance project superintendent during the refueling, the Rhode Island team completed the work package with an experience level of one-and-a-half years. “Our experience level, compared to previous boats, was very low. We really focused on our continuous training and development program to provide a lot of hands on training.” Hansen lauded the project team’s preparation and credited much of the boat’s success to the efforts made by the mechanics to learn new skills and maintain a positive attitude. “Being new to the program, they came with fresh ideas and enthusiasm. The attitude and the approach of the engineers, the mechanics, the deckplate supervisors, they continuously worked. They never gave up,” he said. “We focused on the fundamentals, on the shipyard initiative of Brilliant on the Basics. There’s nothing glamorous about reactor servicing, you just have to do it right every day. If you’re not stopping work because of quality problems, you just keep doing what you’re supposed to do.”
To Jones, success is about more than just his project team. It’s about Norfolk Naval Shipyard. “The shipyard really rallied around us, and the Production Resources Department recognized our resource demands,” said Jones. “Everyone wanted us to win this one. It hasn’t been a cake walk, but I will tell you we did not let ourselves get defeated. We kept our heads up. We didn’t meet the mark, we exceeded the mark. We had to believe 220 days was achievable. It’s a big win for the shipyard.” Critical though it may be, the refueling is one part of a much larger job, and once Jones and his team are finished, the submarine is handed back over for the remaining work. “If we are able to make the pre-selected dates for key events, we have a much higher probability of delivering the ship back to the Navy on time,” said Deputy Project Superintendent Douglas Poynter. “The Rhode Island team is fighting every day to deliver the ship back to the Navy in 27 months and the refueling team played a major part in allowing NNSY to do just that.” For next time, Jones and his team know now what they are capable of, and they have an impressive new goal to beat. “We have a great project team,” he said. “I’m proud of them.” MARCH 2017 • SERVICE TO THE FLEET • 17
�an �rancisco for conversion
BY ANNA TAYLOR • PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST PHOTOS BY SHAYNE HENSLEY • NNSY PHOTOGRAPHER USS San Francisco (SSN 711) arrived at Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) Jan. 25 for its conversion from an operational fastattack submarine into a Moored Training Ship (MTS). San Francisco is the second of two nextgeneration MTSes to be used for training nuclear officers and Sailors at the Nuclear Power Training Unit in Charleston, South Carolina. NNSY has been converting the first, USS La Jolla (SSN 701) since Feb. 2015. The two current MTS subs, both commissioned in 1964, have been training nuclear officers and Sailors since their conversions in the early 1990s. The conversion process, which will last an estimated 728,000 mandays, requires NNSY to make two complete hull cuts, separating the boat into three pieces, recycling the center section, and adding three new hull sections, adding 76 feet to the overall ship length. The new hull sections will arrive from Electric Boat via barge and then be craned into the dock. The conversion will also include work typical of the engineered overhauls NNSY conducts on other Los Angeles-class submarines. The San Francisco team’s mindset is a crucial component for the multi-year availability. Project Superintendent Wallace Martin says they are focused on more than just getting the job done. “We focus first on maintaining our standards in the way we work, including safety, cleanliness, and doing the homework to achieve first time quality,” he said. “We are confident that schedule and cost performance success will be a product of that.” A project of this nature brings with it a number of unique risks, but the San Francisco project team hopes to leverage the lessons learned from the La Jolla project. The San Francisco team’s safety efforts began more than a year ago with a focus on the five most common causes of injuries on the USS La Jolla conversion.
“It is our challenge to take what has been learned on La Jolla and translate that into strategic and day-to-day actions that result in a positive change in performance for our customers and our nation,” said Martin. “I'm very proud that a new personal protective device (better known as the Slick Hood) developed by one of our zone managers has shipyardwide potential to reduce the occurrence of eye injuries. We're also deploying a new scaffolding system for the dry dock to help make the dock safer and more efficient for everyone. And thanks to the Code 920 [Structural Group] Inside Shop, and our Code 740 [Lifting and Handling Department] crew led by Dave Miskiel, our shiny new hatch houses sit atop the boat already, improving service routing, temperature control, and general cleanliness.” These improvements are not just a project team initiative. They’re part of a shipyard and Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) corporate effort to minimize the difficulties and build on the achievements of the La Jolla project as a Learning Organization.
“One of the major early struggles for La Jolla was outfitting the reactor compartment forward module, which had been delivered as an empty shell for USS La Jolla by General Dynamics Electric Boat. This was hard work that took a lot of NNSY resources to accomplish,” said Martin. “As a result of collaborative effort by a number of stakeholders, NNSY is now expecting the module for San Francisco to be outfitted prior to delivery to ensure we can devote our resources elsewhere. This change requires careful planning as the timing and hull assembly plan will be different in order to make this happen. But in the end, we expect this to be a big win for the shipyard.” Martin said meeting the shipyard's commitment to provide the second moored training ship is crucial to the nuclear navy's training program. By modernizing the navy’s existing training assets and providing additional training capacity, NNSY helps ensure nuclear ships at sea are provided with fully trained Sailors every year for the next 20 years.
MARCH 2017 • SERVICE TO THE FLEET • 19
The new aluminum hatch enclosures are designed to keep the bad weather out while letting temporary services into the boat.
New aluminum hatch enclosures installed on San Francisco BY ANNA TAYLOR • PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST PHOTOS BY SHAYNE HENSLEY • NNSY PHOTOGRAPHER Three new, shiny hatch enclosures were installed on USS San Francisco (SSN 711) just moments after its arrival at Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY). The hatch enclosures provide personnel and utility access to the submarine’s interior. Most of the hatch enclosures currently in use at the shipyard are constructed using a combination of scaffolding and thick, industrial plastic sheeting. The new structures, which are fabricated almost entirely of aluminum and welded in place atop the submarine, provide more permanent and weather proof access to the boat. The hatch enclosure planning and design phase began in late November 2016, when the Nuclear Engineering and Planning Department (Code 2300) personnel created the initial drawings. The job was completed less than two and a half months later Jan. 25 when San Francisco arrived at NNSY for its conversion to a Moored Training Ship. It was the second time the NEPD and the non-nuclear Structural Group (Code 920) Shipfitter Shop (Shop 11) worked together on a unique project. They previously completed four nuclear equipment support towers to create an elevated workspace and keep equipment off the dry dock floor. Those are currently being used by the USS Rhode Island (SSBN 740) Engineered Refueling Overhaul. Editor’s note: For more information about the nuclear support towers, see the April 2016 edition of Service to the Fleet. “It is very unusual for nuclear engineering and non-nuclear Shop 11 to work together,” said Code 2300 Nuclear Engineer Brandon Waltemeyer. “We’ve found this unique compatibility, and it can be difficult to get guys pulled off the projects to go and build these things, so we’re lucky Shop 11 is able to go get it done so quickly.” It was a race against the clock to get the enclosures finished on 20 • SERVICE TO THE FLEET • MARCH 2017
time, but the team was fighting more than just time. “Being able to get all of this done with all of the time, material and resource obstacles, and to get three of these hatches up in that short period is a real accomplishment,” said Raquita Washington, the nuclear engineer who was tasked with designing the new hatch enclosures from scratch. “I’m just grateful for those guys down there in the shop, they did a great job, and I’m looking forward to working with them again.” The installation of the hatch enclosures went seamlessly, and only slight modifications were necessary during the 20 minutes it took to install each one in place. Because they are made out of aluminum, they are essentially maintenance free and don’t require blasting or painting. In addition to being practical, the new enclosures are also a much safer alternative to standard scaffolding, and provide more reliable shelter from the environment. Washington says the team plans to build six more aluminum hatch enclosures to be used wherever they are needed. “We’re going to make the new ones a little bit larger and make some other modifications,” she said. “We want to get more people involved, because the more eyes you have the more input you get. We also need to start planning a little earlier to give us more time to get the material in, because things happen, so we need to plan more in advance.” According to those involved, this project was yet another example of the fine craftsmanship practiced at Norfolk Naval Shipyard. “We’ve got some of the best aluminum welders in the shipyard,” said Shop 11 Shipfitter Supervisor Bo Jamison. “There was a great sense of urgency to get the job done right the first time.”
MARCH 2017 • SERVICE TO THE FLEET • 21
SHIPYARD SPOTLIGHT
Brandon Goodman INSIDE MACHINIST BY KRISTI BRITT • PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST PHOTOS BY LUKE BEASLEY • NNSY PHOTOGRAPHER
When asked what brought him to Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY), Shop 31 Inside Machinist Brandon Goodman noted opportunity and mentorship led him to a career and a family within the gates. And every day, he strives to bring innovation and inspiration to those around him as well as give 110 percent to the Navy’s mission. Goodman first entered the shipyard fiveand-a-half years ago as an Inside Machinist Apprentice. His peers selected him to the president of the NNSY Apprentice Association during their time in the class. “Being in the apprenticeship was an amazing experience for me,” said Goodman. “In our shop, we rotated jobs every four months so that we could get the full experience of what inside machinists do. We were learning hands-on and we were able to meet others within Shop 31. I became part of this big family; we’re so tight knit and I love them all. We look out for each other and help each other grow. I’m proud to be part of the team.” During his time as an apprentice and the president of the association, Goodman was able to be part of various groups within the shipyard. He would assist in recruiting at local schools, teaching students about what the shipyard could offer them in terms of a career. He also was able to join in planning for the America’s Shipyard Celebration as well as become part of the Learning Organization Steering Group (LOSG). One of his proudest accomplishments was joining with outreach and participating in Cooperating Hampton Roads Organizations for Minorities in Engineering (CHROME) events with the local schools. “Being a representative of the shipyard and working with the kids on their projects are some of my best memories here,” said Goodman. “I’m a big advocate for giving back to the community and knowing that these kids could be the future of America’s Shipyard is an added factor in helping them learn what they could achieve through hard work.” As president of the NNSY Apprenticeship Association, Goodman also found his strength in public speaking and built up his skills while teaching students, teachers, and others about the shipyard. In Nov. 2015, Goodman graduated from the apprenticeship program and was able to address the audience on stage, the largest crowd he ever spoke to which totaled more than 2,000 people.
FAST FACT: Goodman is a motorcycle enthusiast. His dream bike is an H2 Kawasaki. He currently has a CX10 Kawasaki. “That moment I will never forget,” he said. “The opportunity that I was given by my peers who voted for me to be the president built up my skills in so many ways and I was doing things I never dreamed possible for me. I’m so proud of my journey and I’ll continue striving forward.” Now a journeyman in the shipyard, Goodman has big plans for the future. He plans to work with the Process Improvement Division (Code 100PI) and work his way up, impacting change in the shipyard as it strives for an innovative future. And he also hopes to become a mentor to others. “Mentoring is opening someone’s eyes to the possibilities of what they can do. Mentors help you in your current path but also help you see what’s outside of your box and recognize how America’s
Shipyard works,” said Goodman. “I’ve had several mentors through my time here: Brian Darden, Lisa Downey, Commander Brandon Lawrence, Daniel Adams, Valerie Fulwood, Carol Pugh, and my old Apprenticeship Supervisor William Parker, to name a few. Each one of my mentors helped me be the person I am today. They taught me how to be the change. I hope to also share that with those around me.” Goodman's goal is to ensure everyone understands what opportunities are available for them as part of the Navy’s workforce. “Growing up I was taught to never give up in a situation and to go out there and get what I want out of life,” he said. “At NNSY, there is opportunity everywhere. You just have to work hard and reach for that goal in life. Strive for what you want and don’t let anyone else depict what your lift should be like.”
FAST FACT: Goodman says he would love to vacation on a private island away from civilization, somewhere peaceful where he could relax.
MARCH 2017 • SERVICE TO THE FLEET • 23
LEAVE PROGRAMS FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
By April Brown • Public Affairs Specialist This winter’s weather brought confusion concerning leave when it came to closures and delays. Not all installations announce the same type of leave when posting or airing a closure or delay during inclement weather or natural disaster. When foul weather hits, employees are online, watching local news, and listening to the radio to see which bases are closed, have delays, and what type of leave is offered. “We have always used ‘liberal leave’ verbiage in the past. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) retired the word ‘liberal’ and replaced it with unscheduled leave,” said Code 630 Financial Management Analyst Supervisor Shelly Pierce. “Not everyone knows that and employees are familiar with liberal leave because they know they can choose to stay home or go to work, as long as they clear it through their supervisor first.” If the delay is for two hours, informing your boss of your status is important. “It comes down to being a safety issue 24 • SERVICE TO THE FLEET • MARCH 2017
because the supervisor isn’t going to know if the employee intends to come to work or not, “ said Vazquez. “ If they are planning to come to work, the supervisor then knows to expect them with the delay. If it takes them longer than the delay to get to work, they need to let the supervisor know. It’s all about the safety of our employees.” Administrative Leave can often go hand in hand with unscheduled leave and is authorized by the shipyard commander for adverse weather conditions, approved excused absences and delays. It. “If the Commanding Officer has decided to have only essential personnel report, he is granting admin leave for non-essential personnel for a designated time period,” said Code 631 Financial Management Analyst Jennifer Vazquez. “If there is a delay, then the employee will get admin leave for that delay, as long as they come to work. They have to work that whole day in order to receive the approved time. If employees decide not to come to work, they do not get the admin leave for that day. They
will be charged unscheduled leave and it will be coded to the leave the employee requests.” There are many types of leave out there; some are more common than the others. The top three leave programs shipyard employees use are annual, sick, and compensation. The most popular leave used is annual and it is used for personal and emergent circumstances. Leave is accrued based on the employee’s job status and their tenure. Those employed full-time with: less than three years earn four hours per pay period; more than three years and less than 15 years earn six hours per pay period; and over 15 years earn eight hours per pay period. Part-time employees who have been: employed less than three years earn one hour per 20 hour pay period; employed more than three years earns one hour per 13 hour pay period; and for those employed over 15 years earn one hour per 10 hour pay period.
For more information on leave policies, visit www.opm.gov or NNSY WebCentral – Instructions on Leave: 7410.15A; 12630.3C; 12630.10B. TYPES OF LEAVE Annual leave Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Leave without pay (LWOP) Sick leave Unscheduled leave Administrative leave Donated leave
Employees will receive a lump sum payout for unused leave when leaving civil service for retirement; resigning their position to go on active duty full time; or leaving federal service for a position in the civilian sector. The second popular leave used is sick leave. It is used when an employee is ill, has a medical or dental appointment, has pregnancy restrictions, or is taking care of an immediate family member who is sick. Compensation leave is earned and granted hours instead of paid overtime and should be used by the end of the 26th pay period in which the leave was earned. Any remaining unused compensation time is paid at the employee’s overtime rate at the time the compensation pay was earned.
If the employee is out for a personal or medical situation and they do not have any leave, the employee will be leave without pay (LWOP) for that time period. Leave donation is a way an employees can receive pay while in a medical LWOP status as long as it meets the criteria. "The employee must fill out OPM form 630 and submit it to their supervisor along with current medical documentation and Leave and Earning Statement (LES). Once approved, the employee will be added to the donation list, and can only accrue 40 hours of sick and annual leave while on the program,” said Vazquez. “The earned leave goes into a bank and the system holds onto it until all of the donated leave is exhausted and then uses the saved accrued leave. When employees receive the information about a co-worker needing leave and they decide to donate after the initial medical emergency, the pay system will process the donations back to the initial medical emergency date. The system will search for any LWOP during that time frame and apply what was donated.” When the employee returns to work, they may ask their supervisor to remove them from the program in order to start accruing leave again. While on LWOP, leave donation, or part or full time, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is something employees should consider. It is a legal document that is signed by a physician and supervisor to protect a federal employee while going through a long or short term medical situation or condition. “The act allows an employee up to 12 weeks of leave without pay during a 12 month period. It covers the birth of a child, adoption and foster care, serious illness of an immediate family member or of the employee who is unable to work due to their current condition or hospitalization,” said Pierce. MARCH 2017 • SERVICE TO THE FLEET • 25
CERO:
2016 investigations at a glance BY CHASE GOODWIN CERO DEPUTY DIRECTOR
Military and civilian personnel at Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) are required – per local and higher level instructions – to report suspected fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement to the Command Evaluation and Review Office (CERO). In calendar year 2016, 78 such reports were submitted to CERO through NNSY’s Inspector General Hotline. Once a report makes its way to the CERO, investigators evaluate the contact to determine the most appropriate course of action. Since many contacts may be satisfactorily resolved through other avenues, an investigation is not always necessary. Of the 78 contacts recorded in 2016, only 14 resulted in CERO investigations – that’s less than 20% of all contacts to the hotline. In addition to hotline contacts, CERO frequently receives direct requests for investigations from the NAVSEA Inspector General, Shipyard Commander and other departments throughout the shipyard; CERO completed 16 such investigations in 2016. Although CERO investigated a variety of allegations of gambling, mismanagement, sexual harassment, travel violations and other related misconduct, investigations into misuse of government property (e.g. government computers and vehicles) and official time amounted to nearly half of the investigations completed. CERO investigators substantiated allegations reported in half of the investigations. In order for an allegation to be substantiated, the matter reported must be supported with evidence. For example,
one’s claim that a coworker misused official time doesn’t make the allegation a fact. When allegations are substantiated, CERO advises the shipyard commander by submitting appropriate recommendations in their report. Since CERO only offers recommendations, it’s the role of the shipyard commander to direct satisfactory corrective action. Corrective action often results in policy changes and individual disciplinary action. Referencing the applicable range of remedies, management determines appropriate disciplinary action after careful consideration of the facts of the case and other relevant factors. Therefore, corrective action may vary between two subjects in violation of the same standard. Subjects of substantiated cases in 2016 received disciplinary action ranging from a letter of caution to removal from federal service. Let’s take a quick look at a few noteworthy investigations CERO completed in 2016. While the facts discussed are from actual investigations, the examples lack some specificity to protect the identities of subjects. While on government property and during official time, several civilian employees participated in gambling activity. Although the Code of Federal Regulations prohibits employees from conducting or participation in gambling operations (see 5CFR§ 735.201), investigators limited the scope of their investigation to employees operating betting pools. By the conclusion of the investigation, investigators uncovered that employees created or maintained betting sheets for “Super Bowl 50” and other notable sporting events. The
command subsequently reprimanded the employees and deployed a training campaign to correct the perception that operating or participating in betting pools at NNSY is acceptable. Two supervisory civilian employees submitted travel claims for travel to and from their permanent duty station. Although the employees were assigned temporary duty (TDY) away from NNSY, investigators determined the employees’ travel to their TDY location was so frequent and lengthy that the location was, in fact, their permanent duty station. The investigation further concluded the employees continued to receive per diem allowances after their permanent duty station officially changed from NNSY to what was once their TDY location. The employees were counseled for violating the Joint Travel Regulations and required to collectively repay more than $12,000 to the government. An 18-year civilian employee failed to use official time in an honest effort to perform official duties. The investigation revealed the employee misused several hundred hours of official time by arriving to work late, leaving work early, running errands in town and attending college courses during official hours without receiving authorization from the chain of command. Consequently, the command took action to remove the employee from federal service. Additionally, the employee’s supervisors were suspended for their failure to certify the employee’s time without verifying it to be true, correct and accurate. To eliminate reoccurrences of similar violations, NNSY must continue to demand and enforce the highest ethical standards from its personnel. The prevention and elimination of undesirable practices can best be accomplished by individual employee participation toward reaching the common goal of maintaining good order and discipline. MARCH 2017 • SERVICE TO THE FLEET • 27
SUPERHERO DAY MARCH 24 IS SUPERHERO DAY!
Take a photo before you leave your house and share it on the shipyard Facebook page and you could be featured in an upcoming issue of Service to the Fleet! If you don’t have Facebook, email your photos to nfsh_nnsy_pao@navy.mil. **No capes or masks in the industrial area** Please call the Public Affairs Office at 396-9550 if you have questions about Fourth Friday #SpiritDay. Employees are invited to participate in a #SpiritDay group photo in front of Bldg. 1500 at 11:20 a.m.
#SPIRITDAY In celebration of Norfolk Naval Shipyard’s 250th birthday, the fourth Friday each month has been designated as #SpiritDay. Mark your calendars and get ready to celebrate #250Years of shipyard history and innovation!